Southern Taiwan shuts down with evacuations and flight cancellations as Typhoon Podul approaches
Taiwan is regularly hit by typhoons, generally along its mountainous, sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific.
The mid-strength Typhoon Podul, packing wind gusts as strong as 191 kph, was heading for the southeastern city of Taitung as it intensifies and was expected to make landfall nearby on Wednesday afternoon, weather officials said.
'Destructive winds from typhoon expected. Take shelter as soon as possible,' read a text message alert issued to cellphone users in parts of Taitung early on Wednesday. The alert warned people of gusts above 150 kph in the coming hours.
Nine cities and counties announced the suspension of work and school for Wednesday, including the southern metropolises of Kaohsiung and Tainan. In the capital Taipei, home to Taiwan's financial markets, there was no impact.
Authorities are also working to evacuate those whose homes were damaged by a July typhoon that brought record winds and damaged the electricity grid in a rare direct hit to Taiwan's west coast.
The government said almost 5,000 people had been evacuated ahead of the typhoon's arrival.
All domestic flights were cancelled on Wednesday, while Taiwan's two main international carriers China Airlines and EVA Air cancelled a handful of international flights as well.
After making landfall, the storm is expected to hit Taiwan's much more densely populated western coast before heading for China's southern province of Fujian later this week.
As much as 600mm of rain was forecast in southern mountainous areas over the next few days, the Central Weather Administration said.
More than a year's rainfall fell in a single week this month in some southern areas, unleashing widespread landslides and flooding, with four deaths. — Reuters
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Malaysian Reserve
20 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
No Malaysians affected by Typhoon Podul in Taiwan, Foreign Ministry monitoring situation
PUTRAJAYA — The Foreign Ministry confirmed that no Malaysians have been affected by the Typhoon Podul's imminent landfall in Taiwan on Wednesday. In a media advisory, the ministry said the Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre (MFTC) in Taipei remains in close contact with Malaysian citizens in Taiwan to monitor their safety and well-being. 'Malaysians in affected areas are advised to remain indoors, follow all instructions issued by local authorities, and stay informed through official channels,' the advisory read. The Foreign Ministry, through the MFTC in Taipei, is closely monitoring developments following the approach of Typhoon Podul's landfall. The Foreign Ministry is also closely monitoring potential after-effects of Typhoon Podul on other territories in its projected path and will provide updates as and when appropriate, it added. For consular assistance, please contact Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre in Taipei, 8th Floor, San Ho Plastic Building, No. 102, Dun Hua North Road, Taipei, Taiwan; telephone: +886 972 349 343 or email: mwtaipei@ According to the media advisory, nine cities and counties, including the southern cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan, announced the suspension of work and school in anticipation of the typhoon's landfall later Wednesday. Local authorities have implemented precautionary measures in certain southern counties, including evacuations and cancellation of flights as well as ferry services to ensure public safety, it added. Media reported that Typhoon Podul lashed southern Taiwan on Wednesday after making landfall in Taitung County, bringing strong winds and heavy rain that disrupted daily life and paralysed transportation. — BERNAMA
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Typhoon Podul slams Taiwan with 191kph winds, mass evacuations
KAOHSIUNG, Aug 13 — Typhoon Podul slammed into south-eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, with powerful winds and heavy rain lashing the island. The typhoon had wind gusts of 191 kilometres per hour as it made landfall in Taitung County at around 1 pm (0500 GMT), the Central Weather Administration said. Podul is expected to sweep across the island and into the Taiwan Strait later Wednesday, battering central and southern areas still recovering from storms last month. More than 5,500 people living in the typhoon's path have been evacuated from their homes, while fishermen have secured their boats. 'We are worried about this typhoon,' Kaohsiung fisherman Huang Wei told AFP as he used more ropes to tie down his boat and checked on other vessels hours ahead of Podul making landfall. 'We had already made general typhoon preparations yesterday, but this morning I woke up and saw news reports that the typhoon has intensified to be as strong as the last, (Typhoon) Krathon,' Huang said. 'Last time, the two boats behind us weren't tied properly and hit my boat.' Krathon slammed into Kaohsiung in October, with wind gusts of 162kph. Typhoon Podul is expected to dump torrential rain across mountainous areas of Kaohsiung City and neighbouring Pingtung County, as well as lightly populated Hualien and Taitung counties, the CWA said. Taitung resort worker Lo Wan-chun told AFP by telephone that locals feared the storm could be as strong as Typhoon Nepartak in 2016, when the county recorded its strongest gusts since 1901. 'After 8am, the storm began to intensify,' she said, before Podul hit. 'It's still getting stronger. You can hear the wind is loud right now. 'We don't recommend guests go out.' All domestic flights across the island of 23 million people have been cancelled for Wednesday, along with dozens of international journeys. High-speed rail services on the west coast have been reduced while train services in the southeast have been cancelled. Many ferry services have also been suspended, and businesses and schools across the south are closed. More than 31,500 soldiers were ready to assist in typhoon preparations as well as rescue and relief efforts, disaster officials said. The CWA expects Kaohsiung and Pingtung could be hit with a cumulative 400-600 millimetres of rain from Tuesday to Thursday. Typhoon Danas, which hit Taiwan in early July, killed two people and injured hundreds as the storm dumped more than 500mm of rain across the south over a weekend. That was followed by torrential rain from July 28 to August 4, with some areas recording more than Taiwan's rainfall of 2.1 metres for 2024. The week of bad weather left five people dead, three missing, and 78 injured, a disaster official said previously. Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October. Scientists say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely. — AFP
Malay Mail
a day ago
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Southern Taiwan shuts down with evacuations and flight cancellations as Typhoon Podul approaches
TAIPEI, Aug 13 — A large swathe of southern and eastern Taiwan shut down on Wednesday and hundreds of flights were cancelled ahead of the arrival later in the day of Typhoon Podul, with thousands of people evacuated. Taiwan is regularly hit by typhoons, generally along its mountainous, sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific. The mid-strength Typhoon Podul, packing wind gusts as strong as 191 kph, was heading for the southeastern city of Taitung as it intensifies and was expected to make landfall nearby on Wednesday afternoon, weather officials said. 'Destructive winds from typhoon expected. Take shelter as soon as possible,' read a text message alert issued to cellphone users in parts of Taitung early on Wednesday. The alert warned people of gusts above 150 kph in the coming hours. Nine cities and counties announced the suspension of work and school for Wednesday, including the southern metropolises of Kaohsiung and Tainan. In the capital Taipei, home to Taiwan's financial markets, there was no impact. Authorities are also working to evacuate those whose homes were damaged by a July typhoon that brought record winds and damaged the electricity grid in a rare direct hit to Taiwan's west coast. The government said almost 5,000 people had been evacuated ahead of the typhoon's arrival. All domestic flights were cancelled on Wednesday, while Taiwan's two main international carriers China Airlines and EVA Air cancelled a handful of international flights as well. After making landfall, the storm is expected to hit Taiwan's much more densely populated western coast before heading for China's southern province of Fujian later this week. As much as 600mm of rain was forecast in southern mountainous areas over the next few days, the Central Weather Administration said. More than a year's rainfall fell in a single week this month in some southern areas, unleashing widespread landslides and flooding, with four deaths. — Reuters
